New york: The State of Qatar has urged the global community to accelerate efforts and strengthen partnerships to aid the least developed countries (LDCs) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This call to action includes fulfilling commitments to increase official development assistance, activating climate finance linked to the Green Climate Fund and the Loss and Damage Fund, offering financial safety nets in developing countries, alleviating debt burdens, and improving natural resource management to enhance public revenue contributions and achieve structural transformation. According to Qatar News Agency, this appeal was made by Talal Abdulaziz Al Naama, the Second Secretary of Qatar's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, during a Second Committee meeting at the UN Headquarters in New York. The discussion focused on Item 21: Groups of countries in special situations. Al Naama emphasized that despite progress in some sectors, LDCs remain off track in achieving the goals of the Doha Program of A ction and the Sustainable Development Goals. He highlighted the need for urgent measures to bolster social protection systems, as these countries struggle to recover from COVID-19 impacts, with 380 million people living in extreme poverty and low educational enrollment rates. Al Naama stressed the importance of investing in quality education, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, to drive social and economic development. The negative impacts of armed conflicts and climate change on LDCs were also noted, as these issues hinder economic activity, infrastructure development, and resilience building, while increasing displacement. The Secretary-General's report indicates 231 million people in LDCs require humanitarian assistance, underscoring the gravity of the situation. He further highlighted the transformative role of science, technology, and innovation, including artificial intelligence, in addressing development challenges across sectors such as healthcare, education, agricultu re, governance, and business. However, LDCs face significant deficits in scientific and technological infrastructure and capacities. Al Naama pointed to the United Nations Technology Bank for LDCs as a crucial player in enhancing these areas. Qatar takes pride in hosting the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDCs in March 2023, which led to the adoption of the Doha Program of Action for the Decade (2022-2031). This reflects Qatar's commitment to international cooperation and multilateral efforts to address LDC challenges and support their sustainable development goals, ensuring no country is left behind. He also outlined Qatar's leading role in executing the Doha Program of Action by strengthening partnerships with UN organizations and agencies, providing multi-year support for their foundational resources, and contributing $60 million to support the Doha Program of Action's activities. This commitment was announced by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani during the Fifth United Nations Conferen ce on the LDCs. Through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), Qatar has agreed to fund two key projects of the Doha Program of Action: the food stockholding mechanism and mitigation and resilience-building measures in LDCs. QFFD also signed a contribution agreement to enhance the capacities of the Office of the High Representative to follow up on the implementation of the Doha Program of Action. Talal Abdulaziz Al Naama expressed Qatar's hopes for the success of the upcoming Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, which aims to establish a new work program for the next decade following the Vienna Program of Action. Qatar also looks forward to the success of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, and translating commitments from the UN Future Summit's final document into tangible outcomes. Source: Qatar News Agency
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